A man was killed in a shooting involving a police officer in Tampa on Thursday night.
According to the police department, officers responded to reports of a shooting in the parking lot of Allusions Bar & Lounge on Busch Boulevard at around 10:50 p.m.
Deputy Chief Calvin Johnson stated that witnesses informed the officers that the armed individual had left the scene in a gray Kia Soul.
Minutes after the officers arrived at the scene, the department’s aviation unit spotted the mentioned vehicle heading southbound on North 40th Street.
When the officers attempted to stop the car at the intersection of N. 40th Street and E. 32nd Avenue, the department reported that the passenger exited the vehicle and fired multiple shots at the police. In response, the officers returned fire and struck the suspect, who then got back into the car.
The driver drove away and headed southbound on N. 40th Street before eventually coming to a full stop. The driver, a 37-year-old woman, got out of the car and surrendered, as stated by the police.
The officers removed the passenger, a 42-year-old man, from the vehicle, and he was pronounced dead.
The department mentioned that the gun found in the car matched the description provided by the initial 911 caller.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) will conduct an investigation into the shooting, while Tampa detectives will investigate the circumstances that led to the initial shooting on Busch Boulevard.
As per standard procedure for an officer-involved shooting, the officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave.
